1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to the field of containers. In particular the field of the invention is directed to a minimum geometry container base.
2. Description of the Related Technology
Traditional plastic jar bases have been made similarly to the bases used in juice and isotonic drinks. These bases which perform well for hot-fill beverages at 185° F. are not good for enabling product evacuation in jar shaped containers. Jar shaped containers focus on improved product evacuation and typically use a conical base design. Such designs have a smaller process window, produce heavier containers and have issues with base sticking.
FIGS. 1(a)-1(c) show standard volcano type bases 3(a)-3(c) used with a jar-type container 4. A jar-type container 4 differs from a typical hot fill container by being filled at higher temperatures, typically 205° F. max. Jar-type containers also have larger finishes, currently up to 82 mm. Because of the larger finishes, a blow/trim process is primarily used to produce the larger finishes, therefore the finishes are thinner than injected finishes, and more susceptible to variation.
Therefore there is a need in the field to employ a jar base that is able to withstand the hot-filling process and provide good product evacuation. Additionally, creating a container that is lighter and has a larger process window is also desirable.